Econ_April_14_2018

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4 Contents The Economist April 14th 2018
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Facebook Mark Zuckerberg
and his questioners in
Congress fail to reassure:
leader, page 10. If Facebook
will not fix itself, will Congress
do it? Page 21
Dismal science Economists
understand little about the
causes of growth. The first in a
series of columns on the
profession’s shortcomings:
Free exchange, page 70
Undertakers Great news for
the dead—the funeral industry
is being shaken up: leader,
page12. Undertaking has long
thrived on a steady stream of
loyal, uninformed customers.
Changing norms, new
businesses and technology are
challenging this, page 51
Seeding other planets
The idea of sending Earthly
organisms to alien worlds is
now being discussed, page 72
International
51 Death
Funerals of the future
Business
54 America’s chemicals
industry
Cracking on
55 Volkswagen
New hands on the wheel
56 Law-firm mergers
Transatlantic trysts
56 Rakuten
Downwardly mobile
57 Pipelines in Canada
Three-ringed circus
58 Meal kits
Sliced and diced
58 Shipping
Smoke on the water
Finance and economics
61 Shareholder activism
Voting with your pocket
62 US government debt
Shake it off
63 Buttonwood
Catching the bitcoin bug
66 Sanctions on Russia
Investing on the edge
66 Deutsche Bank
Yet another new boss
67 Anti-poverty programmes
Weaving safety nets
67 India’s state finances
Who counts?
68 US-China trade
Drawing the battle lines
70 Free exchange
Understanding growth
Science and technology
72 Spreading life to the
galaxy
Long shots
73 Bone of contention
Early humans
74 Neuroscience
Brain teaser
74 Innovation prizes
Turning carbon into gold
Books and arts
75 Fascism in the 21st
century
March of the times
76 Art and addiction
Through a glass, humbly
76 Puttin’ on the Ritz
Sober cooks, tight shoes
77 Life after death row in
Mississippi
I knew I didn’t do it
78 Johnson
Twelve confused men
80 Economic and financial
indicators
Statistics on 42 economies,
plus our monthly poll of
forecasters
Obituary
82 Louie Kamookak
To Franklin’s grave